Chuck and Sarah vs The Two Packages
by quistie64
Summary: With the help of Team Bartowski, Chuck must defend both their base and one of the packages while Sarah delivers the other.  One-shot drabble.


Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.

**Chuck and Sarah vs. the Two Packages**

Chuck had already completed part of his mission. He had secured the package, but his mission was not yet complete. He still had to infiltrate the location, establish and secure the base. With the package firmly in his grip, he scanned the area, looking for the perfect location to establish their base. He ascertained the best site and moved forward.

"Casey, how's the perimeter?" Chuck asked through his comm.

"East side secure. I have eyes on you. Set up base."

"Copy," Chuck acknowledged. "Morgan, how's the west side?"

"West side secure," he replied. "I had eyes on Sarah, but she's now out of range. She's delivering the other package."

"Roger that," Chuck acknowledged. "Setting up base now."

He moved to the center of his chosen location and set his package down. He secured his left and right flanks by deploying the deterrent devises he carried with him. When he was convinced the area was protected, he sat down next to the package and waited for the rest of his team to rendezvous with him.

He glanced around, anxiously waiting for his team to arrive. "Morgan, where's Alex?" Chuck asked.

"I sent her on a side mission," Morgan replied nervously.

The comms exploded with a string of profanity from Casey. "Morgan, how could you send her off on her own? She may not make it to base in time," Casey hissed.

"Relax, Casey," Morgan responded. "I'll stay with her if we can't get there in time. We'll find another position and wait to rendezvous with you later. I won't leave her alone."

"You'd better not," Casey threatened, "or I'll come over there and..."

"Guys, head in the game, here," Chuck interrupted. "I'm trying to fight off one wave after another of infiltrators. I'm here all by myself. I need backup," he said urgently. "Mom," Chuck called into his comm, "has Sarah finished dropping off her package? I could use some backup here."

"Roger that, Chuck," Mary replied. "Sarah is making some last minute adjustments."

"Chuck, honey," Sarah responded, "I'm almost done here. I've sent your mom to you. She should be there in just a minute. Hang on."

Within a minute, Mary made her way to Chuck's location and positioned herself to help Chuck defend of their base. Interlopers came in from both flanks, but with Chuck on one side, and Mary on the other, they were able to both secure the base and defend the package.

It was several more minutes before Sarah was heard over the comms, "The package is in place. We're good to go. I'm on my way."

"Roger that," Casey replied. "I'm on your six."

"Copy that. Thanks, Casey," Sarah said.

Casey fell in behind Sarah as they both made their way toward the base. "Morgan," Casey growled over the comms, "where's my daughter?"

"I've got eyes on her," Morgan said, relief flooding his voice. "Here she comes."

The lights around them flickered and flashed. "Crap, Morgan, hurry up!" Chuck hissed into his comm.

"Hang on! We're incoming," Morgan said as he and Alex hurried toward the base.

Chuck and Mary removed the deterrent devices as the team arrived and took their positions. Chuck sat down again, this time the package held firmly in his lap. Sarah sat down next to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Her eyebrows lifted when she looked at the package in Chuck's lap. He smiled and nodded at the unspoken question. Then his eyebrows rose in the same fashion. She responded to him with her own smile and nod.

All were firmly ensconced in their positions. Chuck and Sarah held the middle, Mary and Casey were on their left, Alex and Morgan on their right.

Suddenly, everything went dark and it was deathly quiet. Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and held it tightly. A bright light was switched on and the curtain opened. There on the stage stood five-year-old Emma Bartowski and six fellow members of her ballet class. Each wore matching pink ballet dresses and tiny ballet shoes. Their hair was worn in tight buns. Sarah sighed in relief that Emma's curly blonde hair had not yet escaped it hair bands and pins.

Three-year-old Jack Bartowski whispered loudly from his dad's lap, "Daddy, I see Emma."

Chuck quickly clamped his hand over Jack's mouth and whispered in his ear, "I know buddy. You need to be quiet now."

Jack nodded solemnly and Chuck removed his hand as the music started. The music of Tchaikovsky filled the auditorium as the tiny ballerinas spun, twirled and moved about the stage. Their performance only lasted a few minutes and when it was over, the crowd erupted in cheers. Huge grins split the faces of each member of Team Bartowski. The ballerinas grinned at the audience until the lights went out and the tiny dancers were escorted off the stage by their teacher.

The recital went on for another 45 minutes, with dancers of all ages performing different styles of dance. Jack moved from lap to lap during the course of the evening. He spent most of his time on his Uncle Morgan's lap, since Morgan had an articulated Batman action figure in his pocket Jack played with.

At the end of the recital, each class was led out onto the stage to be picked up by their parents. Sarah scooted past her family, moved to the stage and retrieved Emma. Emma grabbed Sarah's hand as Sarah helped her down the steps.

"Mama!" Emma shouted. "Did you see me?" she asked, holding her mother's hand tightly.

"I sure did, baby girl! You were the best one up there," Sarah enthused, a huge grin on her face. She walked Emma toward the rest of the family. When Emma saw her father, she launched herself into his arms and said, "Hi, Daddy. I danced in front of all those people."

"You sure did! And you were great!" Chuck said as he smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Emma squirmed from his arms and ran over to Mary who knelt down and hugged her granddaughter.

"Emma, you did a wonderful job! I'm so proud of you!" Mary beamed at the young dancer.

Alex walked over to Emma and said, "Dancers always get flowers after they perform. Your Uncle Morgan and I got these for you," holding out a small bunch of flowers carefully wrapped in cellophane.

Emma's eyes grew wide and she reverently took them in her hands. Her eyes shone with excitement and she gave her a hug and said, "Thank you Aunt Alex." Then she moved to Morgan and gave him a hug .

Sarah gave Alex and Morgan hugs in turn and whispered her own, "Thank you" to each of them. Chuck whispered to Morgan, "Side mission, huh?" Morgan merely shrugged.

Jack had been climbing all over Casey during these exchanges, using him like his own personal jungle gym. He climbed down from Casey, looked at his sister with big brown eyes and said, "I saw you!"

Emma smiled at him, still clutching her flowers.

Casey patted her on the shoulder and said, "Good job, Munchkin."

"Thank you, Uncle Casey," she beamed at him.

Chuck had reacquired Jack's hand and held it firmly in his own. Sarah held one of Emma's hands and Mary had the other.

"I think it's time for us to go get some ice cream!" Chuck announced. That was met with a chorus of approval from everyone.

Emma turned her face up to her mother and asked, "Can I have a scoop of Rocky Road?"

Her mother proudly grinned down at her and answered, "You bet, darlin'."

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**A/N:** I was at one of these dance recitals last week. I was fascinated by how one or two people from a family would scope out a row of seats and then mark it as their territory. They would deploy "deterrent devices" like coats, purses, even young children on the seats to keep others from invading their space. Then they would wait and defend until the rest of their group arrived. It reminded me of a military maneuver where a platoon is tasked to take a ridge and hold it at all costs.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little drabble. Let me know what you think.


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